New Vista fix packs provide updates promised for SP1 — Microsoft has rolled out to select testers two new Windows Vista fix packs that deliver many of the same updates expected to be provided by Vista Service Pack (SP) 1. — (Note: The original posting listing the fixes has been pulled by AeroXP, with no explanation given.

10 automakers to jointly develop OS — The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry will start developing jointly with 10 automakers an operating system for automotive electronics, it has been learned. — The decision will be announced this week, a ministry source said.

Japanese revved up for car software standard — Japan's economy, trade and industry ministry is planning to develop a standard operating system for car electronics, according to a leading Japanese newspaper. — Among the major manufacturers signing on to the development project are Toyota …

Wikia acquires Grub distributed search indexing system — Wikia, the company created by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, has acquired the Grub distributed indexing system from LookSmart and is preparing to distribute Grub's code under an open source license. Wikia plans to use Grub …

iPhone Firmware Hints at New Apps, Widgets — While browsing through my iPhone's firmware a few days ago, I came across something very interesting in one of the system preference files, "Default ApplicationState.plist." Among the expected names, like "mobileipod" and "Weather," …

Japanese Porn Industry Embraces Blu-Ray Disc — Japanese adult film makers have turned decisively to Blu-ray Disc, breathing new life into its bid to replace DVDs as the disc of choice for home movies. — Recommend this story? — The HD DVD high-definition movie format may have the lead …

The Best is Still the Enemy of the Good — I just finished a report on future of next generation optical disks that will be published shortly with a few surprises. It's really looking that both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray may well turn out to become the laserdisk for the 21st century.

Bejeweled Turns iPhone Into Gaming Gem — PopCap Games has announced a free web version of Bejeweled for Apple's iPhone that's now available via the Safari browser. — PopCap Games, the multi-platform casual game company best known for its popular titles such as Bejeweled and Chuzzle …

China's Alibaba confirms plan to list in HK — China's biggest e-commerce company Alibaba has submitted its first initial public offering (IPO) application to the listing committee of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and may become the largest high-tech share on the Hong Kong bourse.

FCC to Rule on Wireless Auction — Lobbying Intense As Google Seeks To Open Market — The Federal Communications Commission will set the rules tomorrow governing the auction of $15 billion of public airwaves, a decision with stakes so high that the major U.S. cellular carriers and Google …

eBay wins round in 'Buy it now' patent redux — A tiny patent-licensing company has once again lost a plea to prohibit eBay from using its patent covering the auction giant's "Buy it now" feature, but the closely watched battle isn't over yet. — Ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court …

UPDATE: KDDI To Offer Email Service Based On Google Email — TOKYO -(Dow Jones)- KDDI Corp. (9433.TO), Japan's No. 2 mobile operator, said Monday it will offer a new email service based on Google Inc.'s (GOOG) Gmail. — KDDI is in the midst of a price war with companies like NTT DoCoMo Inc. …

Cautious welcome for BBC iPlayer — The BBC's iPlayer online video service has won a cautious welcome from the first people to download and use it. — On chat forums triallists complained about technical problems but others were complimentary about the content on offer and download speeds.

2018 Top 100 Global Tech Leaders — 21st century technology-sector leadership requires more than financial success. It also requires a commitment to compliance, innovation, and much more. Who are today's leaders?